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Airwaves Interview Series: Terry Hutchinson

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(This article originally appeared on Airwaves in 2009. Enjoy.) 

 

Airwaves interview with Terry Hutchinson conducted by Amanda Salvesen:

           

If you are a sailor, which is pretty likely as you’re reading this, you probably think of Terry Hutchinson the same way as football fans think of Tom Brady. We all watched with baited breath in 2007 when he raced in the America’s Cup and cheered him on when his team won the Med Cup in 2008. His sailing career has been widely successful in many different venues and boats, ranging from national to world championships in fleet and match racing. If you talk to him, though, he’ll be the first to admit that it all comes back to the elements of success for any sport: hard work and determination.

 

      [Read more…] about Airwaves Interview Series: Terry Hutchinson

Why Not? Spinnakers in College Dinghy Sailing

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This just in from ESPN’s CollegeSailNet:

“…The water-borne video camera crew races up hurriedly to the weather-offset mark to catch, on film, the first pack to round. This will be the final leg, as the finish is, of course, downwind! As the first several boats round the mark, the now-familiar 3’ sprit poles pop out of the bows of the Collegiate 4.4’s, the new college sailing dinghy (more on that boat later). Those watching the video feed on CollegeSailNet inside the boathouse see it all, and prepare to watch and analyze the downwind tacking sure to come as the fleet rounds the top marks.

 

On too tight a reach to set their A-Kites on the offset leg, the C-4.4’s sprint to the offset mark, waiting to hoist those asymmetrical spinnakers. As the first boats round, those on shore, straining to see the action first-hand,  can now make out clearly who’s whom as the crews hoist their kites, grab the sheet, and balance out the boat as the kite fills and the boat jets downwind looking for puffs and clear air. Yes! Stanford’s Cardinal Kite is still in the lead, but Dartmouth’s big green is close behind! Amazing! With giant team logos on team-owned regatta sails, it is clear to all where the teams stand, and the fans watch in nervous anticipation as the C-4.4’s slice, dart, cross-gybes, and seemingly fly downwind. It’s a great day to be a college sailor! Back to you, Tucker….”

Imagine that. And why not?

College sailing is great just as it is. We love it. But, imagine how/if it could be better. Here are six reasons why college dinghy sailing should employ spinnakers in fleet racing (not team racing). We’ll leave it to you to let us know why not.

1. It makes sailing a lot more interesting. From spectating, to tactical sailing, options downwind (and maybe even on reaches), to crew involvement, the game of college fleet racing would be transformed to another level. Would A-Kites make fleet racing an ESPN favorite? No, but likely nothing will. It will however add far more interest in watching the game, and keep college sailing somewhat relevant to how sailboat racing is done. Excitement and speed blended with young athletic talent is a great thing. Displacement sailing dead downwind is not. [Read more…] about Why Not? Spinnakers in College Dinghy Sailing

SCOTT SINKS AND PATRICK SNOW: SAIL1DESIGNERS OF THE MONTH

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By Airwaves Writer Martha Pitt

Over Presidents’ Day Weekend, while many families were enjoying the weekend off and relaxing, 420 sailors and their families from all over the country traveled to Jensen Beach, FL to compete in the 2013 420 Midwinter Championship hosted annually by the US Sailing Center in Martin County. Seventy-six boats made up the competitive fleet, and the sailors saw three very challenging days of big breeze and tough conditions. Adding to the drama was the cold front that plagued central Florida that weekend, with uncharacteristically chilly temperatures almost hitting freezing overnight, and wind chills not getting out of the low 40s on Sunday during the day. On Saturday, at the start of the first race, the Race Committee was reporting winds around 12 knots which gradually built to 18 and gusting into the 20s before they called racing off for the afternoon. A cold and blustery Sunday morning kept the fleet onshore until noon when the RC decided to try racing the kids a bit closer to the venue in a more controlled area.  The winds gradually died down a bit throughout the day, allowing for a full afternoon of racing. Monday was still chilly and windy, but much more manageable conditions, allowing racing to go right on through the cutoff time so that the fleet was able to complete twelve races with two throw outs. 

 

The teams that were able to come out on top were those who were prepared for the weather and didn’t let the wind or cold slow them down!  Ultimately coming out on top were Scott Sinks and Patrick Snow from the San Diego Yacht Club. After a 6th place finish at this event last year, the boys were prepared to make moves for the top of the fleet this year. Over the course of the event, they sailed fast and strong, able to mentally brush off a few tough races, and dominate many of the others. The physical way the boys sailed their boat certainly equipped them with boat speed and boat handling that few other teams could match, and got them through the twelve races with just thirty points, beating Jack Parkin and Florian Eenkema van Dijk from the LISOT team by just four points. Max Simmons of Norwalk, CT and crew Riley Legault of Naples, FL rounded out the top three.

 

Scott and Pat are both seventeen years old and have grown up sailing in San Diego, starting in Sabots.  After outgrowing those, they have been sailing higher performance boats like the CFJ, C420, I420, 29er, and Scott is now starting to get a bit into Snipes.  They also both sail for their respective high schools, Scott a junior at Point Loma and Pat a senior at Cathedral Catholic.

Read on about Scott and Pat’s sailing experiences and successes over the past year and half of sailing together, and what the future holds for them.  Pat is on his way to the Naval Academy in the fall and Scott “definitely plans to sail in college”, so they will certainly be two sailors to look out for over the next few years and beyond!

[Read more…] about SCOTT SINKS AND PATRICK SNOW: SAIL1DESIGNERS OF THE MONTH

One Design Profile: The Tartan Ten

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Sail1Design would like to welcome another new member to our team, Gretchen Croll. 

 

The Tartan Ten is an older boat that is great for young professionals wanting to race competitively in one of the largest one design classes in the nation.  The T-10 is great for sailors who want to keep their budgets manageable and still maintain a race-ready vessel.

 A 33′ foot monohull, the T-10 is a 7/8th’s fractional rigged sloop and is well designed for both a casual family cruise and competitive racing; both offshore and around the buoys. These boats are also nice if you are limited in the number of crew members available for a regatta.  The boat can easily be sailed with five to seven people in a race and when cruising don’t require more than two or three individuals.  The 9’6″ cockpit allows for plenty of room for guests and the 6 foot draft allows the boat to maneuver easily in shallower water.  The T-10 has a large and devoted following in the Great Lakes, especially Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.  This is very often the largest class entry in the Chicago NOOD regatta and there are often upwards of 30 boats at the North American Championships each year. 

In 2001 a new boat was created by Larsen boats in collaboration with Rich Sterns and SOCA boats.  This new vessel has the identical hull design as the T-10 with a completely remodeled deck and cabin. This new design, called the LS-10, allows for more headroom down below and the luxuries of a newer model boat—like a real head—while still being allowed to sail in the same one design class as the classic Tartan-10. 

 

The T-10 class association maintains rigorous standards for both the T-10’s and LS-10’s in order to keep all the boats on a level playing field.  There is a weight limitation for the boat and crew at all regattas as well as strict measurements regarding sail cut and mast rake.  Any infractions on these rules and standards are punished severely. 

All in all, the Tartan 10, though an older boat, is still very relevant today.  This is a classic boat design that allows for great one design racing.  One of the best aspects of these boats is their affordability—the Tartan 10 allows for a great racing boat at a fraction of the cost of the larger boats and newer models being made today,  [Read more…] about One Design Profile: The Tartan Ten

Tartan Ten

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The Tartan Ten is an older boat that is great for young professionals wanting to race competitively in one of the largest one design classes in the nation.  The T-10 is great for sailors who want to keep their budgets manageable and still maintain a race-ready vessel.

A 33′ foot monohull, the T-10 is a 7/8th’s fractional rigged sloop and is well designed for both a casual family cruise and competitive racing; both offshore and around the buoys. These boats are also nice if you are limited in the number of crew members available for a regatta.  The boat can easily be sailed with five to seven people in a race and when cruising don’t require more than two or three individuals.  The 9’6″ cockpit allows for plenty of room for guests and the 6 foot draft allows the boat to maneuver easily in shallower water.  The T-10 has a large and devoted following in the Great Lakes, especially Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.  This is very often the largest class entry in the Chicago NOOD regatta and there are often upwards of 30 boats at the North American Championships each year.

In 2001 a new boat was created by Larsen boats in collaboration with Rich Sterns and SOCA boats.  This new vessel has the identical hull design as the T-10 with a completely remodeled deck and cabin. This new design, called the LS-10, allows for more headroom down below and the luxuries of a newer model boat—like a real head—while still being allowed to sail in the same one design class as the classic Tartan-10.

The T-10 class association maintains rigorous standards for both the T-10’s and LS-10’s in order to keep all the boats on a level playing field.  There is a weight limitation for the boat and crew at all regattas as well as strict measurements regarding sail cut and mast rake.  Any infractions on these rules and standards are punished severely. 

All in all, the Tartan 10, though an older boat, is still very relevant today.  This is a classic boat design that allows for great one design racing.  One of the best aspects of these boats is their affordability—the Tartan 10 allows for a great racing boat at a fraction of the cost of the larger boats and newer models being made today, 

 

http://www.tten.com/

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